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Prosecutors in Albany are prepared to go to trial in the case of Lorenz Kraus, who confessed on television to murdering his parents in 2017. Kraus, who made a brief court appearance on Tuesday (October 28), admitted to suffocating his parents, Franz and Theresia Kraus, and burying them in their backyard. Their remains were discovered last month during a financial crimes investigation.
Albany County District Attorney Lee Kindlon described the evidence found in the Kraus home as "a treasure trove of information." Kraus has been formally charged with multiple crimes, including first-degree murder, second-degree murder, concealment of a human corpse, grand larceny, and identity theft. The indictment alleges that Kraus assumed his father's identity and stole over $50,000 from the family's estate.
Authorities discovered the bodies after cadaver dogs detected a scent, leading to an excavation of the backyard. Kraus was arrested shortly after confessing to a television reporter at WRGB studios in Schenectady. He has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail at the Albany County Correctional Facility.
The prosecution has turned over evidence to the defense, but a trial date has not yet been set. Kraus is scheduled to appear in court again on November 20.